Managing Research, Laboratory, and Grant Projects
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The Research Project Life Cycle
| Phase | Typical tasks |
| Idea and feasibility | Define the question, review the literature, check resources |
| Design and approval | Select methods, write the protocol, obtain ethics and safety approvals |
| Preparation | Order materials, train, pilot, and validate methods |
| Data collection or experimentation | Carry out the protocol, record carefully |
| Analysis and interpretation | Process data, test hypotheses |
| Dissemination | Write, present, publish, and share data |
| Closure | Archive, report, evaluate |
Laboratory Management
Safety first: complete training, follow standard operating procedures, and keep risk assessments current.
Documentation: keep a dated lab notebook (paper or electronic) that is detailed enough for others to repeat your work.
Equipment: book instruments early, keep calibration records, and plan for downtime.
Materials: manage inventory and lead times for reagents and consumables.
Samples and data: label, log, and store carefully; maintain chain of custody where required.
Reproducibility and Data Management
A data management plan (DMP) describes what data will be collected, how they will be stored and shared, and who is responsible. The FAIR principles ask that data be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (Wilkinson et al., 2016). Where appropriate, preregister your study and share analysis code (Nosek et al., 2018).
Working with Others
Research is collaborative. Agree early on authorship order and criteria, using a framework such as the CRediT taxonomy (Brand et al., 2015), responsibilities, data sharing, and conflict resolution. Document agreements in writing.
Writing and Managing a Grant
Grant projects are projects with strict rules. A typical proposal contains:
| Section | Content |
| Summary | The problem, aims, and impact |
| Aims and objectives | Specific, measurable goals |
| Work plan | Work packages, tasks, deliverables, and milestones, often with a Gantt chart |
| Methods | Design and analysis |
| Management plan | Roles, governance, risk management, and communication |
| Budget and justification | Costs by category, with reasons |
| Impact and dissemination | Who benefits and how the results are shared |
| Ethics and data | Approvals and the data management plan |
After the award, follow reporting requirements, monitor spending, and manage changes by asking the funder before deviating from the approved plan. Keep a record of milestone delivery and expenditure, since audits do occur.
Managing a Research Portfolio as a Doctoral Candidate
A doctoral candidate may run several streams at once: the main study, papers, conference submissions, teaching, and collaboration. Keep a list of all commitments with deadlines, estimate the effort, and decide which have priority. Say no to opportunities that damage the main project, and use the Eisenhower matrix (Chapter 19) to separate the urgent from the important.
When Research Does Not Go to Plan
Negative or unexpected results are a normal part of science. Document them carefully, discuss with your supervisor, and decide whether to adjust the method, change the question, or write up the negative finding. Having a plan B at the planning stage makes this far less painful.
CHAPTER 18